18-Day Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes Trek via Chola Pass

We will pick you up at the airport and take you to the hotel. In the evening, we will enjoy a welcome dinner with the team.

We will visit Boudhanath, one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu, as well as Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath, also known as the Monkey Temple. After the tour, we will have a team dinner and prepare for an early morning flight to Lukla.

We will take an early morning 30-minute flight to Lukla, where you will catch your first glimpse of the mountains. At the airport, the porters will be introduced. Then, after breakfast, we will trek towards Phakding through the Dudh Kosi Valley, crossing a few local-style suspension bridges.

Along the way, you will admire the mountains and the green valley, as well as colourful prayer flags and stacks of Mani stones. After this 2-3 hour trek, you will have the rest of the day to explore the village in Phakding.

We will head towards Namche Bazaar. After a short and leisurely hike across several suspension bridges, we will climb to the Sagarmatha National Park entrance, where permits will be checked. Then we will continue climbing for 2-3 hours to Namche.

There will be two viewing spots where you can get your first view of Mount Everest.

'Climb high, sleep low' is the motto for avoiding Acute Mountain Sickness. Most trekkers show the first signs of AMS in or near Namche, so the day will be spent hiking higher and returning for the night in order to acclimatize.

You will ascend to Syangboche airstrip and then continue to Khunde Village, passing several chortens. In a monastery lies the purported Yeti Scalp. Climbing further to Everest View Hotel, you will enjoy a 360-degree view of the amazing peaks, including Mount Everest. Then, we will go back to Namche Bazaar.

Today we follow an up-and-down path to Tengboche with excellent views of peaks such as Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Nuptse, and Kwangde. We will pass the village of Sanasa, then the trail will drop down towards Phunki Thanga before climbing sharply to Tengboche.

The climb passes through forests of rhododendron, pine, fir, magnolia, and birch that begin to thin out as the famous Tengboche Monastery comes into view. The area includes a few lodges, a bakery, and the monastery. This is one of the best places for a panoramic view of the peaks named earlier.

In the morning, we will descend through the forest, following a route similar to the one from the day before yesterday. Along the way, we may be lucky enough to spot wild pheasants. After crossing the Imja Khola River, we continue with the holy mountain Ama Dablam accompanying us on the route and arrive at Pangboche at 3,930 m.

In the afternoon, we climb towards the upper reaches of the river and pass through the glacier area before arriving at Dingboche at 4,410 m for the night.

A 500 m climb will take us to Nagarjun Peak at an altitude of 5,000 m. From here, you will enjoy fine views of the mountains, including Mt. Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world. This hike usually helps with acclimatization.

There is also a chance of seeing snow leopards on this 3-4 hour hike. Once you arrive, you will admire the view from the top and then descend back to Dingboche.

The gradual climb to Lobuche will be pleasant as we get closer and closer to the snow-clad giants. After a 45-60 minute hike, we will reach Thukla, where we will stop for food.

We then continue to a flat area where several memorials dedicated to climbers who died on Everest have been erected. After that, we will climb out of the valley and descend to the yak pastures at Lobuche.

We will pack light for a 2-2.5 hour trek to Gorakshep, which includes both easy and difficult sections. The path winds between boulders and can be rocky and slippery, but you will be surrounded by huge mountains. Along the way, you will see the Khumbu Glacier, the highest glacier on the route.

After reaching Gorakshep, we will check into a lodge, eat something, and then head to Everest Base Camp. Another 1-2 hour hike along the Khumbu Glacier will bring us to base camp. As we arrive, the yellow tents of the climbers will come into view. You may then look around, take pictures, and write your name on the boulders before returning to Gorakshep.

Today brings the highest altitude of the trip as we climb Kala Patthar, the southeast shoulder of Pumo Ri, at 5,550 m. The climb to the top is hard, but the view makes the effort worthwhile. You can hear the creaking sounds of the surrounding glaciers and see the mountains of the Khumbu region, including Pumo Ri, Nuptse, Zhangzifeng, Ama Dablam, Taweche, Kantega, and Pearl Feng.

After taking in these remarkable views, we will descend the mountain, continue shortly past Lobuche towards the Chola Pass route, and stay overnight at Dzongla.

Today is the main climbing day of the itinerary. We will carefully ascend Chola Pass at 5,330 m, and then make a steep descent to the Black Stone Formation area before resting at Tangnag.

In the morning, we continue across the Ngozumba Glacier, the longest glacier in Nepal. After lunch in Gokyo, we make a lighter ascent to Gokyo Ri to overlook the beautiful mountain lake and the Ngozumba Glacier.

From the top, you will watch the peaks of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu, along with other giant 8,000-meter peaks. Overnight stay in Gokyo.

Today, we will descend through the Gokyo Lake District and have lunch at Dhole via Machhermo. After a short break, we continue descending along the Dudh Koshi Valley to Phortse Tenga for an overnight stay.

Today we will go to Khumjung, another large mountain town at 3,780 m. After arriving, we will have lunch there and return to Namche in the afternoon to formally bid farewell to the mountains of Everest.

We will go for a 6-7 hour walk back to Lukla to spend the night. This will be your last day in the mountains, so it will be a good time to relax, enjoy, and celebrate your success.

We will take an early flight back to Kathmandu on this final day. Sitting on the right side of the plane, you can take one last look at the mountains. We will say farewell once we arrive in Kathmandu. May you enjoy the rest of your stay in Nepal!

We will transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).